In a refrigeration appliance such as a refrigerator or freezer, several systems have been proposed for cooling of an ice maker within the refrigerator or freezer cabinet. In some systems, the ambient air within a freezer is chilled to a temperature low enough to form the ice. In other systems, known as direct-cooled systems, a cooling loop for the ice maker is added to typical the refrigeration loop. The ice maker cooling loop can be routed through the mold body of the ice maker, thereby directly cooling the ice maker to increase the rate at which ice can be formed in the ice maker. If desired, warm refrigerant can also be passed through the ice maker when ice cube are ready for harvest.
The heating and cooling loops for ice makers include portions embedded within the mold of the ice maker to provide the desired heat transfer. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,216,499 discloses an ice maker having a first heat exchanger 12 in the form of an ice-making mold with multiple depressions 14 for making ice cubes. Cooling fluid runs through an interior portion of heat exchanger 12, connected to the cooling loop by connectors 13.
Direct-cooled ice making systems typically operate sufficiently to create ice cubes at a much higher rate than by using cold air alone. Direct-cooled systems also provide flexibility as to where within the refrigerator or freezer cabinet the ice maker can be located. However, due to the added features provided by direct cooled systems they are inherently more complicated than other systems to manufacture and to service, in particular if any parts of the ice maker need to be replaced at a user's location. Accordingly, simplified direct-cooled ice making assemblies and/or related refrigeration appliances incorporating same would be welcome.